The Art of Sneaking Around
by Trapped in a MatchBox
Summary: In which Castle and Beckett are almost successful in keeping their relationship a secret. SPOILERS for episode 5.02!


**A/N: This is based on the sneak peeks for tomorrow's episode. So, you know, spoiler alert.**

**Disclaimer: Castle is not mine.**

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**The Art of Sneaking Around**

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"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She hisses the second she is relatively sure Lanie is out of earshot.

"What? I had to say something, right? Couldn't just stand there looking guilty." He whispers back as they make their way out of the morgue and onto the sidewalk. "You know she would've just put two and two together in a heartbeat."

Kate sighs and shakes her head.

"I know, I know." Opening the door of her car, she sinks into the driver's seat and closes her eyes for a moment. "This sucks." She says when she hears the door slamming on his side.

"I know." He reaches over and touches her thigh, giving it a comforting squeeze. "But it's like you said. This can't get out. Not yet." She covers his hand with hers and threads her fingers through his. "We can do this, Kate." He tries to sound reassuring and she nods, starting the car. "And hey, sneaking around can be fun, right?"

"As long as we don't forget the rules. Ryan nearly caught us earlier, remember?" She warns him, reveling in the warmth of his hand still on her thigh. It still takes her breath away that they can do this now.

"I'm trying. And you know what, you're just as guilty as I am." He throws her an amused grin and she chuckles. "And you started it."

"Well, it's taking some getting used to. We had an entire month to ourselves, doing whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. It's hard adjusting back to not being able to touch you."

"I can't believe you just admitted you can't resist me, detective." He uses his best bedroom voice and leers at her, making her laugh.

"Don't let it go to your head, stud." She says amused and he squeezes her thigh once again, this time his touch causing a delicious shiver to run through her body.

"Too late."

He grins at her and runs his fingers lightly up the inside of her thigh, closing in on where she wants him the most. It's amazing the effect his touch has on her body, how she always finds herself unable to resist him whenever he is in close proximity. That's why today has been such a challenge so far, not being able to touch him like she has gotten so used to in the past four weeks; even if it is just to reassure herself that he is still here, that they're really doing this.

"Don't start something you can't finish right now, Castle." She breathes out, already feeling the heat spreading through her as his touch comes dangerously close to the heat between her thighs.

"Can't we just take a long lunch break and have a quickie back at your place?" He suggests hopefully and she laughs, breathless.

"It's my first day back. Trust me, Gates is watching us like a hawk." She sighs and his fingers start their journey south, to a safer territory, as she stops at a red light.

"You're killing me here." He takes advantage of the red light to steal a quick, but deep kiss from her. "This whole you can look, but you can't touch thing is not fun. Not now that I've done a whole lot of touching." He gives her a wicked grin and she rolls her eyes, leaning in for one more kiss before the light changes to green.

"Well, if you're a good boy, I'll make it up to you tonight." She promises with a grin and he nods enthusiastically.

"You'd better."

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"What's wrong?"

He corners her in the break room, where she is struggling with the espresso machine as usual. The device hisses and lets out a cloud of smoke, making Kate wave her hands in front of her angrily, letting out a frustrated breath.

"Nothing." She grits out and tries to work the damned machine again. He touches her hand gently and removes the cup she has been gripping tightly. "I can do this, Castle." She protests, but closes her eyes and sags against him for a brief moment when he touches her hip, drawing small circles on her skin through her shirt.

"Kate." He starts and waits until she meets his eyes. "What's wrong?" He insists and she sighs.

"I don't like this thing you guys are planning." She finally admits and looks away, feeling ridiculous and embarrassed for reacting like this.

"What, you mean the fake date with the reporter?" He asks surprised and looks up at the window, making sure the blinds are closed. Stepping closer to her, he pulls her into his arms for a moment, like he did this morning before they left for work. She shrugs. "Kate, you know you don't have anything to worry about. Right?" He touches her chin, making her look up at him. "Right?" He repeats and she closes her eyes again, resting her forehead on his shoulder.

"I know. I just…" she sighs again before meeting his eyes again for a second. "I don't even know. It's stupid. I'm sorry."

"It's not stupid. It's actually kind of hot that you're jealous." He grins at her and she rolls her eyes, slapping his chest.

"Shut up." She mumbles, looking over her shoulder to check that the coast is still clear before she captures his lips with hers in a quick kiss. "But just so we're clear, _I don't share_. Got it?"

"God, you're so hot. I love this jealous side of you." He grins again gleefully and she is just about to reply when the door opens and they jump apart as if they have been burned.

Ryan and Esposito look from one to the other suspiciously.

"Are we interrupting something?" Esposito asks, eyebrows raised in question. Kate swallows before turning fully to him.

"No, what's up?" She asks casually and Ryan starts rattling off new information they have just discovered about their case, but she knows Esposito is trying to figure out if something is different.

Just as they are leaving the break room to continue their discussion by the murder board, she feels his touch on the small of her back, then a gentle squeeze on her hip. When she looks at him, he smiles reassuringly at her and she nods with a smile of her own.

She doesn't have anything to worry about. He is all hers.

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After an exhausting night, Kate finally climbs into his bed, letting out a contented sigh when her head hits the pillow. She tries to wait up for him, but sleep is quickly winning her over. She still can't believe she found that damned woman all over him on his couch. How dare she? She was so pissed at the time that she wanted to throw herself at the reporter and personally push her off her man. Who the hell did she think she was? In fact, who the hell did a television show in her bikini?

With a sigh, she rolls onto her side when she feels the bed dip under his weight. After he settles under the covers, she scoots closer and presses herself against his side, her hand coming to rest on his chest. He takes her hand and brings it to his lips.

"Sleep, Kate." He murmurs, knowing she is exhausted, and she nods, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

"Night. Love you." She mumbles and sleep pulls her under in a matter of seconds.

She doesn't even register his body stiffening in surprise or the way he holds her closer after this.

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The next time Kate wakes up she feels a little disoriented for a moment, a phone ringing incessantly somewhere. She hears Castle groaning and tries to reach over to his nightstand, propping herself on his chest.

"Beckett." She croaks into the phone and rubs her eyes sleepily. The bedside clock tells her it's a little past 6am.

"Hey, honey. Sorry to wake you up, but there's something you should come and see." She hears Lanie's voice and tries to fight a yawn.

"Kate, what is it?" Castle asks with a yawn, blinking slowly against the pull of sleep. She smiles because he just looks adorable and touches her index finger to his lips gently to silence him.

"Ooh, is that your mystery man?" Lanie questions interestedly on the other end of the line.

"What did you find, Lanie?" She ignores her friend's question and hopes she will take the hint. Thankfully, the medical examiner returns to the task at hand and tells her about the DNA samples she has found on the victim's body. "Alright, I'm just going to take a shower and get some coffee. See you soon." She tells her friend and presses a kiss to Castle's chest before sitting up in bed.

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me who your mystery man is?" Lanie insists and Kate chuckles quietly.

"Yes, I'm sure, Lanie." She says amusedly and a little exasperated.

"Come on, Kate. You can't just leave me hanging. Besides, I thought you and Castle were finally on the mend after those weird couple of weeks." Lanie presses and Kate sighs. "You guys seemed to be getting along just fine yesterday."

"I promise I'll tell you soon, okay?" Kate says in an attempt to keep the medical examiner off her back for a little while. Just when she thinks she is safe, Castle's phone starts ringing loudly on the nightstand.

"Wait, I know that ringtone." Lanie exclaims suddenly just as he tries to quietly answer his phone. "Katherine Beckett, don't tell me your mystery man is Castle!"

Kate closes her eyes and shakes her head in defeat. Castle looks at her questioningly as he talks as quietly as he can to Alexis.

"Guess I won't tell you, then." She finally admits, not seeing a way out.

"Ha! _I knew it_!" Her friend gloats on the other side and Kate allows herself to fall back into bed, keeping the phone away from her ear at her friend's excitement.

"She knows?" He asks, throwing his phone next to his pillow and lying back down.

"Mhmm." She snuggles closer to him, throwing a leg over his. "We'll be there soon, Lanie." She tells the medical examiner as he kisses her nose, then her lips.

"This conversation is so not over, Kate." Lanie warns her and she chuckles, breathing in his scent before kissing his neck.

"Yeah, yeah. Just… keep it to yourself, okay? We haven't told anyone yet." She pulls away to tell her friend that and meets his eyes with a small smile.

"Of course. Of course." Lanie immediately agrees. "Oh, honey, I'm so happy for you guys."

"We're happy too." She confesses contentedly and Lanie laughs.

"Yeah, I'll bet. All the sex is doing wonders for you, girl." She teases and Kate chuckles.

"_Shut up_. I'll see you soon."

She hangs up and puts her phone back on the nightstand. He pulls her into his arms until she is nearly draped on top of him and she lets out a sleepy sigh.

"So Lanie knows." He comments, his hands drawing lazy patterns on her back.

"Yup." She nods and kisses his chest. "What did Alexis want?"

"They just landed on JFK." He explains while she scoots up his body to press an openmouthed kiss to his neck, delighting in the shiver that her touch elicited. "We didn't even last twenty-four hours." He laughs quietly and she chuckles into his skin. "Oh well, now that Lanie knows, maybe we have time for some awesome morning sex? She won't mind if we're a little bit late, right?" he suggests innocently, his hands finding her ass to press her hips closer to his, creating some delicious friction that has her blood nearly singing in her veins.

"I love the way you think, Mr. Castle." She nips playfully at his jaw and straddles his hips. "She did say all the sex is doing wonders for me, you know. We shouldn't disappoint her."

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**A/N: Thoughts?**


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